Loop-holding mechanism for knitting-machines



(No Model.)

H. BRINTON. LOOP HOLDING MECHANISM I'OR KNITTING MACHINES.

No. 445,494. Patented Jan. 27, 1891.

IIVVE rvrrnn STATES HENRY BRINTON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

LOOP-HOLDING MECHANISM FOR KNl TTlNG-MACHlNES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 445,494, dated January 27, 1891.

Application filed March 24, 1888. Serial No. 2681 N m l- To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY BRINTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city and county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Loop-Holding Mechanism for Knitting-Illachines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure l is a partial plan view of the cylinders of a circular-frame knitting-machine wherein my invention is embodied, part of the yarn-guide post being broken off for clearer illustration. Fig. 2 is a vertical section, as on the line 00 as, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a like section, as 011 the line y y, Fig. 1. Fig. 4. shows one of the holders or sinkers detached. Fig. 5 is a section of the sinker-bed and the cam-ring, taken on a line through the feedslot and connecting-piece. (ler view of a portion of the cam-rin g, showing the feed slot therein.

This invention relates to an improvement in those devices termed sinkers or 1oopholders, which are used in connection with knitting-machines to feed forwarder take up the fabric as rapidly as produced, and to prevent the fabric from rising and moving with the needles as they are successively advanced to engage the yarnin the knitting operation.

These devices consist, ordinarily, of a series of metallic plates or blades, which are constructed to slide in a plane at right angles to the line of movement of the needles, or substantially so, being supported in suitable guideways formed radially in the outer surface of an annular bed surrounding the outer end of the cylindrical noodle-bed, and recip rocated in such guideways by means of a suitable ca-m. These plates or blades are notched or recessed in their forward or acting ends to engage the yarn, they are equal in number to the needles, and are so arranged with reference thereto that one plate or blade will work in each space between the needles.

The improvement consists in a novel construction and arrangement of the holders or sinkers and of their supporting and operat- Fig. 5 is an uning parts, whereby certain advantages are gained, as hereinafter explained.

Referring to the annexed drawings, A represents the needle-cylinder of a circularknitting machine, which has a portion at its upper end reduced to about the plane of the bottom of the needle-grooves, as shown, to give the operator access to the needles whenever this maybe desirable. A are the needles. B is an annular bed, which surrounds this cylinder near its upper or outer end, being held in place by screws or other means. The bed 13 has in its upper side a regular series of radial grooves or ways I), which alternate with the series of needle-grooves in the cylinder A. V

H is the needlecani cylinder, and h the needle-operating cams.

D represents the holders or sinkers, consist ing each of a thin angular metal plate or blade, whose vertical limb d is provided with a forward nose or finger d with an upper notch or hook d, and whose horizontal limb d is provided with an upwardly-projecting lug (:1 In each of the grooves b is contained the horizontal limb of one of these holders D, the lug on said limb projecting up from the groove into a channel 6 in the under side of a ring E, which rests upon flange B. This ring is rotatably held in place by means of lip or angle pieces E, which are secured thereto and take under flange I3. The vertical limb of the holder D extends up beyond the inner edge of the ring E, and the forward notched nose (Z is guided in a radial slot or groove to in the top of the needle-cylinder, as seen, the upper edge of the nose being flush with the end of the cylinder, or practically so. The channel 0 is concentric with the ring, except at a part c, which is outwardly offset so as to constitute a cam portion. During the operation of the machine this ring is rotated in concert with the cam-cylinder by means hereinafter described. The relation of the offset to the knitting-cams is such that just before the needles are finally depressed by the cams to complete the stitches, the cam-offset will throw the respective holders of said needles outward, so as to retract their hooks or notches J from the yarn, and thus permit the formation of new stitches upon the fingers (1, whereupon the offset will return said holders or sinkers successively inward, in order that the hooks or notches will engage with and hold down the respective stitches thus formed. (See Figs. 2 and 3.) In this inward or advanced position the holders or sinkers will be positively held by the concentric portion of the channel 6 till a succeeding revolution of the cam-ring-that is to say, until the needles of the respective holders or sinkers have reached the extreme limit of their upward movement.

The edge of the ring E in front of cam c is cut away, as shown, to permit the outward throw of the holders at this point. The earn 6 is composed in the present instance of two suitably offset pieces c" c which are screwed orothe'rwise secured to the ring E. The outer piece 6 has lateral extensions or lugs F F at a proper distance apart, between which extends the yarn-guide post G, which is fixed as usual, to the cam-cylinder H, just back of the vertical median line of the knitting-cams.

It will be apparent that during the rotation of the cam cylinder the post G will bear against the forward lug F, and thus rotate in concert therewith the ring E, withthe result above mentioned.

The distance between the opposite faces of the lugs F F is such that when the direct-ion of movement of the cam-cylinder is reversed during the operation of knitting the heel or toe-part of a stocking the post, traversing the intermediate space,will abutagainst the other lug F and in this way bring the knittingcams into proper relative time with the cam e, the needles, of course, having at the outset been temporarily disengaged from the knitting-cams, as is customary in such work.

The position of the yarn-guide with respect to the knitting-cams is always the same, and hence during the direct or the reverse movement of the cam-cylinder said guide will be in advance of the holder or sinker-operating cam e..

As heretofore constructed, loop-holders or sinkers of the character mentioned were made straight-that is, their notched yarn-engaging fingers were in or about in line with the limbs (P. This construction necessitated the placing of the sinker-bed and the actuating cam-ring on or above the horizontal top plane of the needle-cylinder, thus rendering it difficult for the operator to draw up the needles when requiredas, for example, while knitting the heel or the toe part of a stocking. This objection my improvement obviates, in that by providing each of the sinkers or holders with the vertical limb the cam-ring E and sinker-bed will be located below the top of the needle-cylinder, as herein described and illustrated.

In view of the factthat the inner ends of the loop holders or sinkers work through grooves or slots a in the upper end of the needlecylinder and their upper edges, over which the yarn is drawn as the loops are formed, are flush with the end of said cylinder, the holders or sinkers can be made of any desired width within proper limits and have their inner or acting ends slightly rounded, thereby obviating the necessity of downwardly curving such ends, as in those holders or sinkers which are located wholly above the upper edge of the cylinder. Moreover, by the present construction finer and closer work can be produced than 1s possible by the other construction referred to, for the reason that the yarn extending between the loops when the sunken holder is used will be much shorter than when carried over the raised holder.

As it would be (liflicult to place the holders or sinkers D in the radial grooves b so that the cam 6 when the ring E is placed upon the bed B would properly engage with the lugs d I provide the inner wall of the channel 6 at some point therein with a slot or opening 2', whereby when said ring and bed are connected the holders may be pushed by way of slot into the radial grooves 11 one at a time, the ring being moved at each in sertion to cause lugs d to enter the cam e This slot also provides a ready means where by a holder or sinker which has become useless from wear, &c., may be readily removed and a new one substituted therefor without in either case detaching the ring and sinkerbed.

lVhat I claim, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a needle-cylinder provided at the top with grooves a and having also the radially-grooved flange 13 below the top of said cylinder, of the needles and their operating-cams, and the holders or sinkers D, provided with the notch 61, and opererative mechanism therefor, said holders or sinkers engaging and working in the grooves of the flange B and the grooves of the cylmder, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with aneedle-cylmder provided at the top with a portion reduced to the plane of the bottom of the needlegrooves, of a radially-grooved flange below such reduced portion, and loop-holders engaging and working in the grooves of said flange and provided each with a loop-engagin g offset above the top of the cylinder, and means for operating said loop-holders, substantially as described.

3. The herein-described holder or sinker, having its work-engaging portion located out of the plane of the main body and cam-em gaging portion of the same.

4. The herein-described holder or sinker, having the horizontally-disposed main body (2 provided with the cam-engaging projection 61 and the work-engaging portion 10- In testimony whereof I have hereunto at'- lo cated out of the horizontal plane of these fixed my signature this 19th day of March, A. parts. D. 1888.

5. The combination, with the radiallygrooved cylinder and flange, the grooves of HENRY BRINTON. the two parts being in different horizontal planes, of the holders or sinkers having parts Vitnesses:

engaging the radial grooves of the cylinder JNO. NOLAN,

and flange, substantially as described. GEO. \V. REED. 

